Anna Nova Gallery is taking part in the international contemporary art fair SWAB Barcelona from 5 to 8 October. The gallery will present a solo project by Anna Andrzhievskaia called ‘sonrisa’ which is part of a large-scale series of artist’s exhibitions dedicated to the themes of migration, shelter and mimicry.
The stand's exposition simulates a hair salon for secret agents from a parallel reality — a place where human and non-human beings can hide and shelter in order to stay undercover. The story begins at the moment when the secret agent was discovered, and now he must change his appearance, for example, take the form of a bag or to do nails extension while being a giant.
The walls of the fictional salon are decorated with new paintings by Andrzhievskaia, the central motif of which is the opposition of ‘friend’ and ‘foe’. Disturbing surreal motifs appear in the artworks: ear and nose with piercing, blue fountain with eyes, dollhouse, paranoid emojis. The artist creates situations where strange creatures — bizarre animals, animated plants and absurd objects — try to mimic the familiar reality and adapt to a new community, but it doesn’t always work out.
Andrzhievskaia’s works rhyme with the main theme of the fair, that focuses on the latest trends in contemporary art related to the escape from figurativeness and immersion in abstraction, combining surreal subjects with poetic and colorful landscapes.
This is the second international art fair where Anna Nova Gallery is taking part this year.
